We Want God Here - Freedom from Bitterness. Matthew 6v9-15 // May 25th, 2025
Teaching overview
Riley Taylor's final sermon in the series "We Want God Here" focused on the transformative power of forgiveness. Using Matthew 6:9-15 as a foundation, he emphasized that forgiveness is essential for personal healing, relational restoration, and deepening one's connection with God. Riley's message challenged his generation to release bitterness and embrace the freedom found in Christ's forgiveness, highlighting forgiveness as central to experiencing God's presence and love.
Our prayer for your Community
As we head into this week, let’s posture our hearts to seek God together. “Lord, help us to release the bitterness we’ve held and receive the healing only You can give. Teach us to forgive as You have forgiven us, so Your presence can dwell richly in our lives.”
Group questions
What part of Sunday’s message convicted, encouraged, or surprised you? (Seek)
Take time to revisit your notes or reflect on what you heard during the teaching. Consider where God might have been drawing your attention—not just what you thought, but what God might have been saying. A helpful practice is to spend a few quiet moments in Lectio Divina—slowly reading the passage of Scripture again, listening for a word or phrase that stands out, meditating on it, and letting it speak to your heart. Before speaking your own thoughts, let the Word speak first and ask that God's presence would join you.
What perspective do I need to change or adjust to come under the authority of scripture? What action does the text call me to do in light of this perspective? (Practice)
Hearing the word is just the beginning—following Jesus means living in obedience to it. The Spirit often prompts us toward simple obedience, repentance, or renewed action. This is not about being perfect, but about being faithful. What small step could you take this week to practice what was preached?
How can we as a group support you in living out what we’ve discussed this week? (Mission)
Discipleship is not only about inward formation but also outward compassion, and we want to walk that journey together as a community. As we pray for one another and seek Jesus together, our hearts are shaped toward His mission to renew all things. Our group isn’t just for us, but a place where we practice loving each other and live out the Kingdom of God.
For further meditation through the rest of your week…
Meditation 1: The First Step—Naming the Hurt
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” – Matthew 6:12. Forgiveness begins by acknowledging the reality of our pain. Jesus never asks us to ignore hurt or pretend it didn’t happen. Real forgiveness names the wound, grieves it, and then surrenders it to God. Avoiding the pain only deepens it—bringing it honestly before the Lord begins the path to healing. Prayer: Lord, help me to honestly name the hurts I’ve carried. Give me the courage to bring them into Your light. Show me where bitterness may have taken root, and begin Your work of healing in me.
Meditation 2: The Mirror of Mercy
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32. When we see ourselves clearly—as people deeply forgiven by God—we begin to see others differently. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse what happened, but it reframes our response. We are not better than the ones who hurt us. We are fellow sinners, equally in need of grace. Prayer: Father, remind me of how much You’ve forgiven me. Let Your mercy soften my heart and humble me. Help me to see the humanity of those who’ve wronged me, and to respond with the same grace You’ve shown me.
Meditation 3: Letting the Cross Sweeten the Bitter
“The Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” – Exodus 15:25a Bitterness can poison our spirit, relationships, and experience of God’s presence. But the cross of Christ—when thrown into the waters of our pain—has power to transform. God doesn’t just ask us to forgive; He empowers us to do so through the love and sacrifice of Jesus. Prayer: Jesus, place Your cross into the bitter places of my heart. Teach me to yield my pain to You, over and over again. Sweeten what has long been sour, and lead me into the freedom of forgiveness.
